This year's general election is less than three weeks away.
And with so much at stake at this pivotal moment in national history, it is important everyone makes their voices heard through their vote.
This year the coronavirus pandemic has greatly impacted the election, both ideologically and logistically. The risks posed by exposure to the virus have meant absentee voting rights have been extended, so everyone has the ability to choose to either vote by mail or in-person.
Because of this, there are now more dates and deadlines to remember to make sure your vote is counted in time.
In NYC, here are the important dates to remember:
October 24 — New York City early voting begins. To check where your closest early voting station is visit here. Be sure to check times of operation, as they vary between locations.
October 27 — Absentee ballot applications must be postmarked by Oct. 27. If you do not want to vote in person, you can request an absentee ballot here.
November 1 — The last day for early voting in NYC.
November 2 — Today is the last day to apply in-person for a general election ballot.
November 3 — Election Day. Nationwide both in-person and absentee ballots must be posted on this day. Be sure to postmark absentee ballots by Nov. 3.
November 10 — Absentee ballots must reach the Board of Elections by this date to be counted, seven days after the election.
Ballots in this year's election are not just to decide the next president; voters will also be voting in the U.S. House of Representatives, New York State Assembly and New York State Senate races. Voters in Queens will also be voting for Borough President.
In the June primary, New York election officials extended the postmark date for the return of absentee ballots due to the influx in ballots that had to be counted. Because of those mail-in ballots, it took six weeks to call two congressional races.
More than 80.5 million absentee ballots have already been requested or sent to voters across the country, meaning there could be a similar situation with the presidential election where a winner may not be called for days, or even weeks, after Nov. 3. For more contentious house races, that timeframe could be even longer.
